by Kate Rudolph
Everything she’d been feeling earlier swirled together with what Shayn conjured in her and Naomi could barely process it all, but she didn’t need to, not as long as Shayn kept kissing her, kept touching her.
She let her fingers trail down to work at the fastening of his shirt, working the neck open until some of his chest was exposed, teal skin dotted with those dark marks she saw on his arm. She kissed her way down, taking time to tease the tendon along his neck and smiling against his skin as he groaned, thrusting up from where he sat. Then she traced her tongue over the nearest mark, loving the slight change in texture on his skin and the salty, masculine taste of him. This was everything she needed and she wanted it now.
“Take this off,” she demanded, tugging at his shirt.
Shayn reached behind his head and pulled, throwing it aside where it disappeared from sight.
All of this could be hers?
Muscles rippled across his chest and there was a faint smattering of hair and those markings, some of which dipped enticingly under the waistband of his pants. Naomi ran her fingers over the ridges of his muscles, tracing them before flattening her palm, as if she could somehow absorb his heat through her own skin.
“Do you like?” Shayn asked, voice half lust, half something she couldn’t quite define.
Instead of saying anything, she leaned down and laved a tongue against his nipple, kissing her way across his chest to the other and doing the same thing, smiling when the flesh rose to stiff points.
“Unfair,” he protested, voice thick with desire. He placed his hands on her hips and suddenly Naomi was moving. She wrapped her legs around his waist and clung tight as he lifted her up and took her to the bed. “I need to see you.”
IF HE DIDN’T GET HIS cock out of his trousers soon Shayn would go mad. But he set his denya down gently on the edge of the bed and joined her, trailing his fingers along the edge of her shirt and asking with a smile if he could remove it. The room sweltered with heat, even if it had seemed pleasant when they’d first walked in.
Naomi helped him peel her top off and they dropped the slip of fabric beside the bed. Shayn would have torn the thing to shreds for daring to cover his denya while she was in his bed, but a distant, practical part of him remembered that their clothing supply was limited until they made it home.
Shayn groaned as Naomi laid back, displayed before him like a debauched offering. Her eyes were dark with lust, heavy lidded and drunk on desire, her lips swollen from his kisses and her hair mussed from when he’d run his hands through it, unable to resist the silken strands. Her body was a piece of art, soft curves and smooth brown skin, breasts he could trace for days and pert, dark pink nipples that begged to be licked.
So he did, kissing and teasing his way along her skin, just as she’d done to him, tracing his thumbs over the sensitive tips until she writhed under him and pulling the taut flesh into his mouth and laving it until she moaned and clenched her hands in his hair, begging for more.
There was nothing he wouldn’t give his denya, and any pleasure she demanded was hers for the taking. His fingers traced lower, splaying out on her abdomen and tracing lazy circles in her soft skin as he worshiped her. This was what it meant to have a mate, what he’d spent his whole life dreaming of, why he’d been willing to leave the only home he’d ever known on the faint hope that some day he’d meet her. Any doubt, any fear that he’d made the wrong decision dissolved as he gave his full attention to his mate. She tasted of hope and the future, of the promise of what it could mean to be joined to someone so completely.
He rolled his eyes up to watch her, her head lolling back as sensation rushed through her. Satisfaction roared within Shayn as he witnessed his mate’s pleasure. He’d been made to make her feel these things and he would dedicate his life to keeping her satisfied.
His fingers found the clasp of her pants and undid them, dipping down into her hidden depths, fingers finding the wet heat of her just begging for more. Naomi’s legs fell open as he plundered, letting him explore, letting him give her this.
“Off,” she moaned, one hand reaching down to push her pants off her hips and give him easier access. “More,” she begged.
His cock throbbed at the heavy heat in her voice and he had to clench his jaw to keep from making a fool of himself. He wasn’t even naked, wasn’t even touching himself, and his mate had him mad with desire. Her soft skin, her feminine scent, the sight of her laid out before him was enough to make him forget the galaxy outside their room. All he existed for was her.
Her pants slid off easily enough and she was naked before him, long legs splayed open to reveal her slick sex, a feast for his eyes and his tongue. He needed to kiss her everywhere, needed to imprint her taste on his tongue until it was the only thing he remembered. He needed her writhing under him, mindless to anything but pleasure. And so Shayn got to work, tracing his way down her body and over her mound until he tasted the core of her, his tongue twining wickedly along her moist heat.
Naomi panted above him, her fingers digging into the sheets and her hips jolting as he took his time bringing her to the edge of pleasure. But he didn’t want this to be over so soon and pulled back, leaving kisses and licks along her smooth skin before coming back for more.
His own length begged for attention and he wanted to sink into her heat, but not until she was mad for it, not until she wanted it more than her next breath. Still, he reached down with one hand and flicked open the button of his trousers, trying to give himself some semblance of relief, even as he ground against the mattress beneath him, desperate for more friction.
Nothing could compare to her slick pussy and Shayn knew he’d only have the satisfaction of watching her come until he could sink inside of her and join them together as they were meant to be connected.
Naomi’s breath stuttered and her hips jerked up, freezing as her sex rippled around his tongue. She cried out and moaned as she came, her body going limp as pleasure overtook her.
He wanted to fuck, needed to feel her, but his own hand dipped into his pants and wrapped around his cock, and in just a few strokes he was joining her, his own orgasm tearing through him as he devoured his sated mate with his eyes.
He shucked off his pants and crawled up next to her, wrapping an arm tight around her and helping her burrow in close. Her hot body pressed up against him and Shayn’s spent cock twitched, already hungry for more. But it would have to wait. He could see his denya’s eyes drooping as she surrendered to the exhaustion of the day. Shayn was ready to join her, but at that moment his communicator rang and he knew he couldn’t ignore it.
What if Sola had contacted his brothers and told them he was missing?
What if the company had managed to get someone to follow them on the ship?
What if this was all some conjured dream and he woke up in the morning alone back on Honora Station?
There were too many worries, but Shayn couldn’t ignore them all. He kissed his mate’s cheek and slid out of the bed for a moment to retrieve his comm before sitting right back down by his mate. He could still taste her on his tongue as he engaged the comm, but made sure the call was voice only.
“Hey, Brax, I didn’t expect to hear from you.”
“You sound rather well for a person your doctor thinks has been kidnapped by a madwoman.” And just like that, the spell he and Naomi had managed to cast over one another for an hour was broken.
CHAPTER SIX
SHAYN WAS ASLEEP WHEN Naomi woke up, and she spent several long moments studying him. She hadn’t realized just how long his dark eyelashes were, but they were something that humans would pay good money for back on Earth. At least, she thought she remembered her mother saying something like that a long time ago.
She didn’t want to think of her mother and father at a time like this. Not because she was ashamed to have a man in her bed, the sheets smelling of their combined scents. No, she didn’t want to remember the tragedy of their passing when she was filled with joy. And sati
sfaction.
She hadn’t planned to immediately go to bed with her mate the moment they hit the room, but she had no regrets, and she hoped they’d do it again over the next few weeks as they spent their time flying to Nina Station. And kissing him, touching him, had managed to distract her from all the troubles that had threatened to send her into a panic.
And just like that they were back.
Naomi groaned and sat up, rolling towards the edge of the bed when she felt a hand gently clasp her wrist. She looked over and Shayn’s eyes opened, his gaze drinking in her naked form. It didn’t occur to her to cover herself. She’d spent most of her life being the subject of medical exams, many of which required some level of nudity, and she’d long ago lost most of her modesty. Normally she didn’t feel anything when someone looked at her body.
When Shayn looked at her, she felt needed. She could get used to that. Easily.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked, tugging her back towards him.
“Better than expected,” she replied. And that was the truth. With all the anxieties that should have been weighing her down, it was a miracle that Naomi had managed a few peaceful hours. But an orgasm like the one Shayn had gifted her had the power to do that. “What about you?”
“Eventually,” he said cryptically.
She rolled back towards him and snuggled under the covers. “Was there something wrong?” Not that she had much experience with these things, but she hoped his answer was no.
And Shayn seemed to realize her concern. His eyes got wide and he pulled her close. “My brother called the moment you fell asleep. It appears that Dr. Pitner wasted no time in contacting him. She told him that I was kidnapped by a deranged patient and that if he knew anything about my whereabouts he needed to contact her immediately. She told him that I was in grave danger and might not even know it.” He delivered the report with a solemn expression that broke into a disbelieving smile as he finished. “I know I shouldn’t find it funny, but that is a little desperate, isn’t it?”
Naomi didn’t see the humor. “She’s calling me a madwoman? She’s not even trying to...” To what? Naomi had run away without explanation.
The smile slipped off Shayn’s face. “Perhaps it isn’t funny,” he conceded. “And I realize that we are coming at this situation from two very different places. Though my brothers won’t tell her anything. And they will be on the lookout for anyone from Sola that ends up on Honora. And, well, it’s possible we might not be staying there for long.”
“No?” Not that they’d had a long time to create any detailed sort of plan, but Naomi knew that Shayn lived on Honora Station with his brothers and had assumed that was their final destination. Not that she was ready to commit to living on a space station for the rest of her life, but it was a place to start.
“Deke shared some interesting information with me. Apparently a large group of Detyens just showed up—”
“The dining hall will be serving dinner for one more hour.” A computerized voice rang through their room.
Naomi’s stomach grumbled and she realized that she didn’t remember the last time she had eaten anything. She wanted to know what Shayn had to say, but he could talk over their meal. “Are you hungry?”
“Starved.” He leaned in for a kiss, but Naomi slid out of his grasp, knowing that one thing would lead to another and they would miss out on their meal.
They washed and dressed quickly before heading down to the dining hall. It was a large room full of dozens of people, possibly more than a hundred. It could seat five times that, but it was late and most people had probably dined earlier. There were other restaurants and eating stations, but the dining hall was the main place for passengers to take their meals.
An android found a table for Naomi and Shayn, and before long they had steaming bowls of delicious smelling food that she didn’t recognize. She was familiar with most Oscavian fare, but being a human on a planet far away from home meant that she was used to eating things she didn’t recognize. She devoured her soup and bread and barely came up for air; truly realizing how hungry she had been, she scraped the last dregs of her meal out of the bowl. Shayn was taking slightly more time, but there was a hungry look in his eye and she was pretty sure he wouldn’t let her have the last bit of his bread if she asked.
She looked around, hoping to flag down the android waiter to get some more food when out of the corner of her eye she saw a man take a seat at a table partially obstructed by a large pillar. She didn’t know why she snagged on him, why he was important, but she leaned in her chair, trying to get a better look. He was an Oscavian with dark hair and he wore a gray top. He could have been anybody, but she was worried he was the man she had thought was following her at the space port.
Was that possible? Had he been following her? Or was he just another passenger?
She didn’t need any more food, her meal suddenly sitting heavy in her stomach. Shayn noticed the change in her mood. “What is it?” he asked around a mouthful of bread.
Despite her fears and doubts, Naomi couldn’t help but smile. “Do you see that guy over there?” She tried to nod subtly towards the pillar.
Shayn glanced over before looking back at her. “Gray shirt? Oscavian?”
She nodded. “I think that’s who I saw earlier. Do you think he’s following us? Do you think Morgyn sent him?” It was hard to imagine that her mentor had turned on her, but she’d wasted no time in contacting Shayn’s family and trying to turn them against her. Did Morgyn actually care for her? Or did she only want her back because Naomi was a valuable asset? Had she only taken Naomi in because she could mold her into the psychic she had become? Now would be a convenient time for a vision to flash up and give her some answers, but even though Naomi had rested and eaten, her power still felt drained and she wasn’t going to be seeing anything for a while yet.
“We’ll keep an eye out,” Shayn promised. “It could just be a coincidence. I hope it is. They didn’t have much time to react. But even if he is following us, we can lose him at Nina Station. We’ll be okay.”
Would they?
A few minutes later when Shayn finished his meal they got up to return to their room and Naomi tried to surreptitiously glance at the Oscavian, but she couldn’t quite see him from the way the room was laid out with that big pillar standing in front of his table. As they made their way to the elevator and up to their room, she kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting him to be right behind them. But the hallways were nearly deserted and they were all alone.
For now.
SHAYN KEPT HIS EYE out for the Oscavian man for the next few days, and he saw him on occasion. Was it enough to believe he was following them? Not really. But could he have been surveilling them? Possibly. There were thousands of people on the ship and Shayn saw at least a few of them more than once, and the Oscavian was one of those that seemed to keep showing up. Shayn was almost tempted to go up to him and strike up a conversation, see how that turned out, but he didn’t know if the man had friends and he wasn’t willing to risk it, not when he had Naomi to look after.
Naomi wasn’t willing to leave their room for long stretches of time, concerned that the man would snatch her up if he got too close. Shayn tried to convince her that wasn’t likely, but she felt safer in the room and there was no reason they needed to walk around the ship. Besides, they were more than capable of keeping themselves entertained behind closed doors.
He spent hours learning her body, finding the things that could light her up between one second and the next, and she studied him in kind. They still hadn’t completely sealed the bond between them, but they had time, and Shayn was satisfied so long as his mate was happy. With his beautiful human miracle with him, how could he be anything but?
“Have you seen anyone else suspicious?” she asked when he returned from his latest stroll. He didn’t like to leave her alone, but he had to stretch his legs and keep an eye out for threats.
“No, everything looks okay.” He knew thi
s was another reaction to their escape, that she’d spent most of her life confined to a single building and would need to adjust to her newly found freedom. It would be so easy to keep her confined, to keep her behind closed doors and wrapped up in blankets, safe from the dangers of any world. But Shayn didn’t want that life for his mate, and he was certain she wouldn’t want it for herself, not once she adjusted to everything that was going on. “Would you like to go for a walk later? Late, when everyone’s asleep?” The ship kept its own hours; night and day were only memories as they traveled between stars. Though some didn’t like to be bound by the ship’s time, late at night it was possible to walk around without meeting another soul. Without being observed.
Naomi stared out of their window from her seat on the couch before turning to look at him. “Maybe,” she answered as she always did. “I’m not sure right now. You didn’t see him?”
“Not this time,” he assured her.
“I’m sorry that I’m so messed up.” She pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. Shayn joined her on the couch and rubbed her back. He wanted to pull her close, but sometimes she didn’t want to be held. He was learning these things about his denya and doing his best to keep her happy, or as happy as she could be in these trying times.
“You’re perfectly normal,” he said. “You’ve been through a lot and you’re still going strong. It’s okay if you want to stay in the room until we get to Nina Station.” He hoped it didn’t come to that, though.
Naomi let go of her legs and leaned against him, finding one of his hands and lacing their fingers together. “What do you think Morgyn will do to me if she finds me? I’ve been imagining a million things and its driving me crazy.” She trembled as she asked and Shayn leaned in, offering all of his warmth.